Erect herbs. Rootstock a bulb with loose scales. Flowers borne on leafy, usually unbranched, stems. Leaves spiral, arranged along stem, sessile. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, 1(-7) in a raceme. Tepals in 2 whorls of 3, white (in ours). Stamens 6. Ovary superior, 3-locular. Fruit a capsule. Worldwide: 10 genera and 350 species, N hemisphere especially SW Asia to China. (Our single species is an escape from gardens). Zimbabwe: 1 cultivated genus and 1 cultivated taxon. |
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